by Steven Marrocco, USA TODAY Sports

by Steven Marrocco, USA TODAY Sports

JARAGUA DO SUL, Brazil â?? The young dinosaur continues to put away young lions.

Known for his lightning-fast hands, former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Vitor Belfort shocked ex-Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold with a wheel kick before fully removing him from consciousness in the first round.

The middleweight bout headlined Saturday's UFC on FX 8 event at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. It aired on FX following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Belfort's highlight-reel performance marked the second time he's used a kick to bring a fight to a swift halt. In his previous outing, he dispatched top contender Michael Bisping with a head kick and punches.

Like Bisping, Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who relinquished his Strikeforce belt when the promotion folded shop earlier this year, hoped to cement his status as a UFC contender. Instead, he found himself a victim of pinpoint striking from Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC) when referee Leon Roberts waved off the fight at the 2:32 mark of the first round.

"The Phenom," who months prior to the fight was told he needed several knockout wins to get another title shot at Anderson Silva's belt, declined to use his victory to ask the UFC to reconsider. But the promotion may end up doing just that.

Rockhold was a slight betting favorite heading into the headliner, which ended a contentious buildup between the middleweights. Rockhold blasted Belfort's use of doctor-prescribed testosterone and got in Belfort's face at the weigh-ins.

Belfort attempted the kick he used to end the fight early in the first frame, but Rockhold managed to elude it. The Strikeforce vet shot early for a takedown but was rebuffed. The two continued to snipe at each other before Belfort's sudden explosion.